Labor Groups Rallies DOLE on PAL Row

Manila Bulletin

Sunday, September 20, 1998

Labor and business groups expressed confidence yesterday that Labor Secretary Bievenido E. Laguesma and Executive Director Buenaventura Magsalin will be able to come up with a solution to the labor problems at the Philippine Airlines (PAL) in the next four days that will prevent its scheduled closure on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

"The two are the country's top labor conciliators and they will not allow these problems at PAL, which are literally their first baptism of fire since they assumed the top labor posts, to remain unsolved," said Florante G. Reyes, President of the Integrated Labor Organization of the Philippines (ILPOP).

Alberto Fenix, President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), expressed almost the same view the other day.

Fenix was quoted as sayiing in Davao City that "We have confidence in Secretary Laguesma. We think he is an impartial party acceptable to both groups."

Laguesma himself told reporters last Friday after testifying before the budget hearing at the House of Representatives that "We are working out an arrangement and we are hopeful that we can arrive at an acceptable solution within the next five days."

The optimism that PAL's scheduled closure on Wednesday as contained in the notice of closure it submitted to the NCMB last Thursday appeared to have been buoyed up by the emergence of "Save PAL Movement" with rank and file employees of the company being behind it.